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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26443312">Coming Home</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Encalhado/pseuds/Encalhado'>Encalhado</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel (Comics), X-Factor (Comics), Young Avengers (Comics)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Hurt/Comfort, M/M, post XFQTOR #3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 05:27:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,065</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26443312</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Encalhado/pseuds/Encalhado</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Mojoworld SUCKS. David just wants to go home to his lover.</p><p>so this's the English (or what I hope is proper English) translation of my own work.<br/>not my first language, not very good at it, errors are to be expected.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>David Alleyne/Tommy Shepherd</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>38</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Coming Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mojoworld SUCKS. There’re no better descriptions for that shithole. Everything sucks. David has been to 36 different universes and dimensions yet somehow Mojoworld still manages to be the worst. It sucks on every single fucking level. Fuck being a superhero, David just wants to go home.</p><p>Home, consists of ugly wallpaper, loud neighbors, a second-hand couch and a brand new bed, two tooth brushes on the sink counter, laundry that is often forgotten in the dryer and so on. And <strong><em><b>Tommy</b></em></strong>. 

</p><p>The first time David dropped the L-word they were only 4 months into their relationship, then 2 months later, Tommy casually mentioned that he wanted to move back to the east coast.</p><p>Tommy didn’t want to live in Krakoa, said it could be too awkward. They eventually landed in an apartment in Brooklyn on a significant discount--courtesy of Clint Barton. Just like that, they now have a place they call <strong><em><b>home</b></em></strong>.</p><p>For any other rational people, they’re moving too fast. Living together is practically marriage, all the excitement of spending the night in the same bed gives way to arguments about the most basic and trivial matters like taking out the trash, different living habits start to get in each other’s way, relationships begin to fail. They haven’t even gotten around to having the “if this doesn’t work out” conversation yet.</p><p>It’s rushed, maybe a little risky, and definitely very much NOT David Alleyne. But this’s one of Tommy’s best qualities: living in the moment. David is more than happy to follow Tommy’s lead, regardless of how hard that could be.</p><p>It’s not to say that life together is perfect for them, it’s far from that. Tommy absolutely refuses to fold any laundry, stating it’s pointless, he just shoves everything into the closet and calls it a day. David has long but given up on this argument, but he hates it when Tommy’s carelessness messes up his clothes. And apparently, according to Tommy’s not so friendly reminder, David likes to leave mugs on every surface in the house till there’re no mugs left in the cupboard. Tommy is still too afraid to meet his family.</p><p>But those problems are insignificant comparing to everything else. The ugly wallpaper that Tommy loves, the dishwasher they brought because they both hate doing the dishes, with a cost that made their hearts clench, the two extra screws that somehow never fit into their Ikea shelf, house plants that never live long, movie nights that always end up with too much pizza and alcohol. And occasionally, when the world isn’t on the brink of complete destruction and their day jobs don’t suck as much, there're kisses they’d share on their balcony as the sun slowly goes down, Tommy’s eyes would glow so beautifully under the warm golden sunlight. All those small things that make this apartment a home, make David wake up every morning and love his partner a little more, are more than enough to dispel any doubts and anxiety.</p><p>If David learned anything from Billy and Teddy, it would be that love conquers everything.</p><p>Back to New York, David contemplates for a while whether to ask Tommy to pick him up or to take the subway. He chooses the latter. He needs time to clear his head and collect his emotions, despite every fiber of his being is protesting vehemently, despite he’s so emotionally vulnerable his mind threatens to break down when he passes a subway performer.</p><p>He makes it to home safely eventually. Home is still the same as he remembered when he left a few days ago, except for the takeout containers on the table that hasn’t been cleaned up yet. Tommy’s cooking skill never went beyond scrambled eggs and pasta.</p><p>Tommy. Tommy’s the reason he wants to come home. But Tommy’s not home. Why isn’t Tommy home?</p><p>David, unfortunately, knows how it feels like to have your heart ripped out of you. So he can say with authority that coming back to an apartment empty of his lover is so much worse. He’s heart is still beating against his chest, but there’s a hollow that cannot be filled.</p><p>He only wants one thing and he can’t even have that.</p><p>His knees buckle, chest heaves as he begins to feel like he can hardly breathe, tears suddenly flood down his cheeks. David drops to the floor, crying to an empty house.</p><p>The rational part of his brain tells him that he’s experiencing a major depressive episode, a break down, the sudden abandonment and despair he’s feeling are not rational. But he can’t help himself, the same way he couldn’t help Shatterstar and Sofia and so many others.</p><p>He <strong><em><b>needs</b></em></strong> Tommy.</p><p>He finds his phone, speed dials his number.</p><p>“Hey babe, you home?” Tommy’s cheerful voice comes through the line quickly, “I’m at Kate’s dogsitting. She and the other Hawkeye are off somewhere doing something...”</p><p>Tommy’s still Tommy. Tommy's always Tommy. That's why David loves him. David wants to answer him but all he can choke out is a sob.</p><p>“Babe? Are you crying?” The only answer he gets is another sob.</p><p>The next moment David is being pulled into a warm embrace.</p><p>Speedsters. He’d laugh if weren’t for the fact that he’s crying so hard.</p><p>“shhh, I’m here now, it’s going to be alright.” Tommy murmurs in his ear, tucking his head into the crook of where his neck meets shoulder.</p><p>Something is licking his hand. Lucky, he realizes absentmindedly, Tommy’s grabbed the dog with him. David usually loves Lucky but not right now. Right now he needs his lover.</p><p>Fists clenching at Tommy’s shirt, David’s clinging to Tommy tightly, wanting so badly to fit himself into Tommy’s slim frame.</p><p>“What happened?” Tommy asks.</p><p>First it’s Northstar’s sister’s mysterious death, which led them to the worst fucking place possible, witnessing his friend’s death being livestreamed on tv for entertainment, knowing full well that Shatterstar is stuck in his worst nightmare but there’s nothing they can do to help. Overall, it’s standard superhero stuff. Being a superhero sucks.</p><p>“Davie, babe...”A kiss is planted on his forehead, “it’s going to be ok, baby, I’m always here for you, I love you, just tell me how I can help.”</p><p>“Just...”David says, his voice broken, “Just hold me like this for a while, please.”</p><p>“Anything for you.”</p><p>And that’s enough. For now, that’s all he needs.</p>
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